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Old 10-04-2021, 08:30 AM   #1
boisesmith
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Winterizing sewer line

Getting ready to winterize a trailer a relative lives in where freezing conditions are expected. I am putting wood panels around the bottom and installing a heated water hose. Two questions: regarding the solid pipe sewer line I installed, does it need to be insulated? And two: does the frost free hydrant attached to need heat tape since there is a hose attached?
 
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Old 10-04-2021, 09:38 AM   #2
scottz
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Quote:
Originally Posted by boisesmith View Post
Getting ready to winterize a trailer a relative lives in where freezing conditions are expected. I am putting wood panels around the bottom and installing a heated water hose. Two questions: regarding the solid pipe sewer line I installed, does it need to be insulated? And two: does the frost free hydrant attached to need heat tape since there is a hose attached?

My opinion is the sewer line does not need to be insulated, unless super cold. They should keep their holding tanks closed, only open them when needing to empty. Most of the time, the sewer hose line will be empty if it is sloped correctly.

Yes on the heat tape for the fresh water. A frost free hydrant (and the hose) will freeze if a hose is attached.
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Old 10-04-2021, 12:47 PM   #3
DQDick
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I agree with the above with one exception. If it gets real cold you need to keep the gray tanks closed and dump them like the black tank. Slow trickles of water will feeze and build up in the sewer line if you let them. You can guess how I know that.
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Old 10-04-2021, 08:19 PM   #4
DutchmenSport
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Even a frost free faucet should have the heat tape wrapped out it.

Last January we were in Northern Alabama. Although mostly above freezing, we did have a few nights when the temps dropped below freezing. I never leave the water faucet (shore water) on. I always fill my fresh water tank and turn the faucet off at the campground source.

One morning we were getting low on water and I went to fill the fresh water tank, and the spigot knob was frozen solid. This was a frost free faucet. What happened, water - dew from the humidity formed around the faucet handle itself and froze the handle shut. I had to wait about 4 hours for the sun to hit the spigot so it heated it up enough the ice melted.

So yes, even if it is frost free, heat tape the faucet and insulate it.

About your sewer drains. If it get's cold enough, long enough, and you dump your tanks enough, eventually the ice will build up inside the lines. It will happened, eventually.

If at all possible, insulate and heat tape the sewer drain lines also. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. IF those pipes freeze up and it's 10 degrees outside, it's going to be a very miserable experience getting them unthawed! Think about that, and I imagine you'll have no issues heating the drains too.
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Old 10-05-2021, 04:14 AM   #5
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We get slow leaks from our gray tank valves into the main sewer pipe outlet that built up and froze last winter. It took about 2 hours with an electric space heater to thaw the pipe enough to drain the tanks. If you are skirting the trailer, that may be enough to hold some heat in. Just be prepared with a small space heater if needed. The DW's hair dryer wasn't enough. There was no damage to the pipes though.
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